Book Quotes: Forgiveness

From What to Do When You Don't Know What to Do by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend (pages 35-36):

If you are going to leave your baggage behind, you must forgive those who have wounded you. Take your cue from God, who has forgiven your sins. If you don't forgive, your resentment will continue to eat away at your heart and keep you from the freedom you seek on God's way.

Your forgiveness of others does not mean you deny that someone has hurt you, nor does it mean you must trust that person again. The future of your relationship depends on many factors. But forgiveness is about resolving the past. It is about clearing up what has already happened. It is about canceling the debt someone owes you. That's what it means to forgive. You are saying that the offender no longer owes you, that you are releasing him or her from all grudges, penalties, and retribution.

So leave the baggage of past hurts behind. Forgiveness is your ticket of freedom to do forward in your life.